A protagonist is the main character in a work of fiction. It is a noun that can be used in a more general sense outside of fiction to refer to the principal people involved in a real-life situation. This use is less common, however.
The idea of a protagonist comes from ancient Greek drama and refers to the actor who plays the main role in a play and is often opposed by an antagonist.
Protagonist in a sentence examplesIt was clear within the first few pages who the protagonist was in this novel.
Macbeth is the protagonist of the eponymous Shakespeare play.
The Luddites were protagonists in the 19th-century fight for workers’ rights in the UK.
The teacher stepped in and separated the two protagonists in the brawl.
Alike is both an adverb and an adjective that means “in a similar way.” The degree of similarity expressed by alike varies with context, from almost identical to a general resemblance.
Alike in a sentence examplesIt was difficult to believe they were brothers, as they were nothing alike.
My father and I sound very alike on the phone, and people have difficulty knowing which one of us it is.
Lab-grown diamonds and the real thing are so alike that for most people it’s not worth paying extra for the real ones.
Loquacious is an adjective that means “fond of talking” or “very talkative.” The context of its use will determine if it carries negative or positive connotations.
In many instances, loquacious and talkative can be used interchangeably, but sometimes loquacious implies a speaker who is eloquent or articulate, whereas “talkative” would not carry this meaning.
Loquacious in a sentence examplesFor a five-year-old, Veronika is surprisingly loquacious.
This was his last house call, and the doctor lapsed into a surprisingly loquacious frame of mind.
Normally shy and diffident, Marty was especially loquacious at the meeting, perhaps because he felt so passionately about the subject.
Vice versa is a Latin phrase that we use in English as an adverb meaning “conversely” or “the other way around.”
The literal translation is “the position having been reversed,” and that is still what it means. For example, “Girls perform better in some subjects than boys, and vice versa” means that boys also perform better than girls in some subjects.
Vice versa in a sentence examplesYou can complete Part One and then Part Two, or vice versa.
I miss spending time with my family, and vice versa.
All squares are rectangles, but not vice versa.
The big question with a cream tea is jam first, then clotted cream, or vice versa?
Although vice versa comes from Latin, it has been used in English for so long that it does not need italics, much like “ad nauseam” and “mea culpa.” It does not take a hyphen, and there is a common misspelling “vice a versa,” which is always incorrect.
Misnomer means an incorrect, unsuitable, or misleading use of a name or label. Misnomer is a noun, and it can also refer to the incorrect designation or name itself.
Misnomer in a sentence exampleA “Dutch oven” is a bit of a misnomer, as it is neither Dutch nor an oven!
Calling it “Priority Boarding” was a misnomer, as everyone got on the same bus after we went through the boarding gate.
There are so many get-out clauses and restrictions that it is a misnomer to call this a “guarantee.”
In legal documents, such as contracts, it is especially important to make sure everything is correctly named. There are ways of correcting any misnomer in a document, and if the misnaming is deliberate, then an offense might have been committed.
As well as is a common phrase that means “in addition to.” It functions as either a preposition or a conjunction and is used to join two parts of a sentence together. Typically, as well as adds emphasis to the part of the sentence that precedes it. Some synonyms for as well as are “plus,” “besides,” and “along with.”
As well as exampleDieting for weight loss requires planning as well as self-discipline.
As well as being beautiful to look at, the guitar played like a dream.
The manifesto went into the proposed tax changes, as well as explaining how they would be paid for.
Bear with me is a way of asking someone to be patient with you. It can stand on its own, if the reason for patience is already known. More typically it will be followed by a subordinating conjunction (e.g., “while” or “as”) introducing the reason you are asking for patience.
Bear with me in a sentence exampleBear with me; I’m just dealing with a customer.
I see the problem with your account; can you bear with me while I see if I can fix it?
We have had hundreds of applications, so please bear with us as we work through them.
Eponymous is an adjective that describes a thing or person (e.g., a creator, inventor, discoverer, or founder) after which something is named. It can also describe the actual thing that has been named after that something or someone.
In the literary world, works that are named after their main character or protagonist can be described as eponymous (e.g., Huckleberry Finn).
Eponymous in a sentence examplesSilas Marner is the eponymous hero of George Eliot’s brooding masterpiece.
In light of Bob Dylan’s renown as a songwriter, it is interesting that his eponymous first album included only one original composition.
The Elizabethan era in English history coincides with the reign of the eponymous Queen Elizabeth I.
The Doppler effect is named after the eponymous physicist who first explained it, Charles Doppler.
Ad nauseam is an adverb that comes from Latin and means “to the point of sickness/nausea.”
Usually, ad nauseam is used as a hyperbole; typically, it is used to say that something is repeated or carries on to an excessive degree, but not actually to the point of sickness or nausea.
Ad nauseam in a sentence examplesBy the end of the election campaign, the same issues had been debated ad nauseam by both sides.
My toddler can sing the same song ad nauseam without appearing to tire.
The teacher went on ad nauseam about the importance of revision and good study habits.
NoteAlthough ad nauseam is a loanword, it has been used in English for so long that it is not necessary to use italics when writing it. This also applies to other Latin words and phrases, like mea culpa or vice versa.
Verbiage is a noun which describes the tendency to use more words than necessary or overly technical words. Usually, it is used with negative connotations.